Just another scar
by Jasper1863Hale
Summary: Jasper Whitlock suffers needlessly at the hands of a horrid man who's meant to care for him like a father. A new friendship brings Jasper the freedom and loving family he's always dreamed of, but there will always be just another scar. Rated M for abuse and language in later chapters, also some background slash.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N:** Hey, I'm back and with a brand new story. Slowly working my way through, I have four chapters written so far and I aim to publish one every few days while writing the rest. The chapters are all much shorter than I usually write, but inspiration has been really slow the past several months, but I do promise a long mutlichap, so be sure to review and add story so you get email updates when the next chapter comes out. Thanks!

P.S. As usual, all recognisable characters are Stephenie Meyers', I'm just playing with them for my own entertainment, and sharing it for yours.

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**Chapter One**

The sound of the bell was almost drowned out by the pattering of many feet across the concrete. Kindergarten children scattered in every direction, running fast to claim swings, slides, and soccer balls as their own for the first recess of the day.

Every few minutes, a teacher could be heard calling for some of the more ignorant students to keep their baseball caps on to protect them from the rare Forks sun blazing down upon the school yard. The day was so hot, Emmett Cullen and his best friend Paul were gasping for air by the time they reached the top of the jungle gym. Within seconds of sitting to catch their breaths, Paul elbowed Emmett in the ribs and pointed across the playground.

"What's with that new boy in your class?" he asked.

Rubbing the slight ache in his side, Emmett gazed down to where Paul was gesturing. It didn't take long for his cobalt eyes to locate the boy in question. He was the shortest in his class, sitting on the wall while kicking his heels against the bricks, his own sights locked on the shadow below his feet.

Emmett gave a small shrug. "He's just a new kid, I guess. All he said when he was made to introduce himself is that he moved from Oregon. There's something weird about him."

"Weird how?" Paul asked, shifting with caution on the metal climbing frame.

"Well, Mr Molina wanted us to talk about our families, but he wouldn't," Emmett replied. "He just started crying and ran out of the room."

Paul burst into laughter at that statement. "God, he's a freak. Come on, Em. Let's go have a bit of fun with him."

Before Emmett could respond, Paul swung down from the top bar and began his descent, leaving his friend still sitting alone and watching the new boy. When his name was called, he snapped out of his daze and followed Paul down the construction, jumping to the bottom when he was close enough to land safely on his feet.

Grabbing hold of his wrist, Paul led him to run along the far side of the playground until they were crouching down behind the wall. When Emmett looked upwards, he was almost within touching distance of the new kid, and he was able to hear his heels kicking against the bricks. He had no idea what his friend had in mind in regards to having 'a bit of fun with him'. Before he could pose such a question, Paul gained his feet in a split second and gave such a hearty shove to the back of the boy, he was knocked clear off the wall. Paul laughed raucously while peering down, but when Emmett stood to join him, he didn't like what he saw. While his eyes remained locked on the kid on the ground, he heard Paul's snide remark that the 'freak' was going to start crying again, but Emmett could see that he was far from doing so. The boy stood and brushed the dust from his pants legs and shirt before turning to face the two taller lads.

Not wanting anything to do with his friend's bullying, Emmett extended his hand to the new kid. "Hi, I'm Em. What's your name?"

He ducked on instinct when he saw the fist flying towards him. There was a shout of surprise and pain from beside him and Paul crumpled to the floor, beginning to cry while he held a hand tightly over his eye. Standing up warily, Emmett turned his gaze back towards the new kid who was watching them. There was a moment of silence before the boy spoke. Just one word. His name.

"Jasper."

Crouching down out of view behind the wall, Jasper picked up his bag and slung it over his shoulder while he straightened up again. His fawn eyes met Emmett's for a second before he turned and walked away.

Looking down to his sobbing friend, Emmett released the breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. "I thought he was going to hit me. That was close."

"Very funny," Paul muttered, glaring up at him with his good eye.

Emmett chuckled and extended his hand, helping his friend back up to his feet.

Later that day, while the children made their way to the gates to be met by their parents, Emmett noticed that the new boy, Jasper, was standing alone away from the fence. Spotting his mother, Esme, engrossed in a conversation with another woman, his brother Jacob standing near her looking bored, Emmett took advantage of their lack of attention and walked aside out of view towards him.

"Hey, Jasper. Isn't your mom here yet?" he asked when he reached him.

When the smaller boy lifted his head, Emmett could see the redness in his eyes and began to panic in case he started crying again, but no tears fell. It was as though he had cried enough that day to be unable to shed any more. Jasper simply shook his head in response to the question.

Emmett hesitated before speaking again, not wanting to upset him further. "Is she going to be long picking you up?"

Jasper stared at him with a blank and hollow look in his brown eyes, partially covered by honey-toned blond hair that had fallen down from his forehead to conceal him.

"What's wrong?" Emmett asked with caution, preparing to duck again if another fist was directed at him.

"My mom is dead," came the murmured reply that the taller boy hadn't been expecting.

Emmett felt bad in an instant for his new small friend. If Esme was dead, he knew he'd be feeling awful too.

"Oh. So your dad is picking you up, then?" he assumed.

Again, he was met with the shake of a head, and he inwardly kicked himself for the answer Jasper provided him with.

"My dad is dead too. They were in a car crash. I live with a new family now, but I don't like them." Jasper lowered his gaze and scuffed his worn sneakers against the ground. "They don't like me."

Emmett considered Jasper's plight for a few seconds before an idea came to him.

"Hey, do you want to come and play at my house? You can stay for dinner. My mom won't mind. I always have friends around."

"Friends?"

Emmett gave a nod, a bit taken back by the smaller boy's response. "Well, we're friends now, aren't we?"

Jasper smiled wide, producing dimples for the first time in so long. He didn't want to tell Emmett that he was the first friend he'd ever had, but he couldn't help but beam with the intense happiness he felt.

Taking a hold of his hand, Emmett led him out of the school yard and over to where Esme was still talking to one of the other mothers. Jacob had become so bored, he'd gone to wait in the car instead. Reaching up, Emmett tugged on her sleeve, turning her attention to the youngest of her two sons.

"Oh, hi, Emmy. You're late," she scolded lightly. "How was your day?"

Ignoring his mother's question, Emmett slung his arm around the other boy's shoulders. "Mom, this is Jasper. He just moved here from Oregon. Can he come home with us to play and stay for dinner?"

"Well, that's fine with me." Esme's soft gaze turned towards the smaller child. "What did your mother say?"

Jasper stared up at Esme, studying the gentle smile on her lips, the sparkling touch to her eyes, and the fairness of her skin. Her appearance showed that she was a caring person, so much more than his new parents were. He opened his mouth to answer her, but Emmett cut in.

"She said that it's fine," he insisted, throwing in an innocent smile for good measure.

"Okay. Well, why don't you boys go and sit in the car with Jake? I'll be there soon."

With an enthusiastic nod, Emmett pulled Jasper away towards where the family car had been parked. Jacob was busy listening to one of his favourite bands on his walkman, and he ignored them when they climbed onto the back seats. Once they were settled, Emmett noticed from the corner of his eye that Jasper was watching him and he turned his head to look.

"What?" he asked, wondering what was bothering the smaller boy.

"You lied to your mom about my mom."

"Yeah, but she doesn't need to know that your mom and dad are . . ." Emmett trailed off when he registered the hurt returning to Jasper's eyes. Looking down, he reached across the seat and took his hand, offering a comforting squeeze. "She doesn't need to know."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** Thank you everyone for your reviews so far. So thrilled with the response for the first chapter.

I also did a little tinkering and made a banner for this new story. Unfortunately, I can't remember how to post a link here where it will actually work! Stupid FFnet. However, I do have a small Facebook group where you can view it and links to all my other stories: .com (forwardslash) groups (forwardslash) 783762984967338

And as usual, recognisable characters are Stephenie Meyers'.

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**Chapter Two**

Though a few hours remained until darkness would fall, the brilliant sun that had shone all day had disappeared behind the more common veil of clouds by the time the Cullens and Jasper arrived home. A few dots of rain spattered the windshield, and as soon as the car came to a complete stop, Emmett grabbed Jasper's hand and ran with him into the house. They remained in the building just long enough for both boys to throw their school bags into Emmett's room. He then dragged Jasper back downstairs and out through the rear door into the yard.

Within the mere minute it had taken for them to get from the car to the back of the house, the Forks rain had turned from a drizzle to a full on heavy downpour. Following the unusual heat of the day, the cooler water falling from the sky was a welcomed relief to the children. It saturated their clothes quickly, soaking through their hair and dripping down the back of their necks to soothe their skin. Puddles formed among the grass and Emmett made a game of jumping in them to drench Jasper further. Despite the weather and his usual reservations, Jasper smiled and tried to push Emmett down into the mud. He hadn't had so much fun in a long time, and he was glad to have made a friend.

They played for several minutes, before a shriek broke through their laughter and caused them to go still. Esme had come to find them and was shocked when she saw the state they'd gotten themselves into.

"What are you two doing?" She glanced between both boys, barely able to believe her eyes. "You're filthy! What are you doing out here playing in the rain and mud? You'll catch yourselves a cold. Inside, now!"

"Aww, come on, Mom. It's been a gazillion degrees today. We're boiling," Emmett protested.

"I said inside, both of you!"

Esme placed her hands on her hips with an air of no nonsense and scrutinised the mess when the two boys walked towards her with their heads down. While Emmett shook the excess water from his raven hair, she caught him by the wrist and scolded him while pulling him towards the house, looking back just enough to instruct Jasper to follow. He watched nervously while she marched Emmett into the house, and a shiver ran down his spine. Jasper feared for his friend's safety. He'd thought Esme was different, that she was kind. She had seemed that way at the school gates, but now she was going to beat them for getting wet and dirty. With that dread increasing at a rate, Jasper turned and fled across the yard, hiding among the trees of the forest bordering the Cullens' house.

Once inside, Esme forced Emmett into the bathroom and leaned past him to run a hot bath. She told him to strip from his drenched clothes, to take a bath, and then to change into fresh, dry garments. When she turned to tell Jasper that he would be next, she realised that he wasn't there. After making sure that Emmett was doing what he'd been told, she left the room and returned downstairs, searching throughout the house for the smaller boy in case he'd taken a wrong turn. She called his name when she failed to locate him, wondering where he'd disappeared to.

Jasper heard her when she stepped out onto the back porch, but he kept his head down and remained hidden among the trees. He couldn't deny that her voice seemed different somehow, calmer than she had been moments ago. The sound of her gentle calls left him torn between going to her or staying put, in case it was a trap to lure him out.

He curled up into a tight ball in the limited shelter of the trees, but as more time passed, he was becoming colder. Jasper shivered from the dampness of his clothes, and when Emmett's voice began calling for him too, he couldn't resist moving from his hiding place, wanting so much to be warm and safe.

Emmett was about to give up searching for his new friend, but when a rustling sound drew his attention towards the forest, he turned and saw Jasper emerging from the trees.

"Where were you? We were worried" he said, hurrying to the smaller boy and pulling him into a hug. "Geez, you're freezing. Come inside. Mom's drawn a hot bath for you and she's making dinner."

Releasing him, Emmett turned to lead Jasper inside, but he slowed and turned back when he noticed that his friend was following at a too slow pace. When Jasper met his gaze, Emmett raised a questioning eyebrow.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Jasper stopped walking and shifted his weight anxiously from one foot to the other. "Your mom didn't beat you too bad, did she?"

Emmett couldn't help but laugh. "What are you talking about? My parents stopped spanking me ages ago because it never worked. Now they just take my games off me."

"Your mom is nice. I didn't mean to upset her, really, I didn't." Before the taller boy could say anything to reassure him, Jasper broke down into tears and choked sobs. "Please don't let her beat me."

Stepping closer, Emmett pulled him into a hug and held him close, trying to mirror the way his mom hugged him to stop his tears after he'd scraped his knees and elbows. Though he knew he wasn't doing it perfectly like Esme could, he was still surprised when Jasper's tears began to subside.

The sound of the boy's crying had drawn Esme outside. She stood watching the two children for a couple of seconds, having never seen her youngest son looking so serious, grown up even, and caring for another. When she approached them, Emmett felt Jasper tense in his grasp and shrink back a little. Esme noticed also and she crouched down to match their heights.

"Jasper, what's wrong?" she asked. "Why are you crying? Are you hurt?"

Emmett looked up to his mother, meeting her eyes when Jasper continued to quietly sob. "He thinks you spanked me for getting wet and that you're going to hit him too because you were upset with us."

Esme turned a confused gaze on the smaller child. "Why would you think such a thing? I don't spank my sons unless there's a serious need for it."

Jasper sniffed and raised his hand to rub at his moist face, wiping the tears and mucus from his nose onto his sleeve. When he didn't provide Esme with an answer, she stooped closer and picked him up, cradling him against her hip while she carried him inside out of the rain. Once they reached the kitchen, she instructed Emmett to go and play with his brother while she would sort Jasper some dry clothes and get him washed and warmed up in the bath. Emmett was hesitant to leave his upset new friend, but he did as he was told.

Esme carried Jasper upstairs and set him down on the edge of the tub when they reached the bathroom. She left him there for a minute while she went to Emmett's room and found some clothes out for the smaller boy to wear, knowing she'd need to roll up the sleeves and pants legs for them to fit. When she returned to the bathroom, she closed the door and approached the boy, leaning past him to fill the tub with water. When she did so, Jasper visibly tensed and she crouched down to try to meet his eyes.

"I'm not going to spank you, okay? I would never lay a hand on another person's child," she assured him. "You're going to take a bath to get clean and warm, then we'll get some hot food into you."

Jasper didn't respond, or move besides the shivers running through his small, thin body. Once the bath had finished filling, he stood and slowly obeyed Esme's request for him to undress from the wet clothes he still wore. She couldn't contain a gasp when the small boy turned around to climb into the tub. His skin was pale, causing the several bruises and scars upon him to appear darker, more visible against his icy complexion.

When he was settled in the bath, his fawn eyes raised to watch her with an innocence only a child could possess, not realising she had seen the markings on his back and legs. He waited patiently, wondering what she wanted him to do next.

Esme forced a smile through her sadness, trying to hide her shock and anger that someone had done something so evil to such a young boy. She passed him a bar of soap and a big sponge, telling him to begin washing the mud off himself. Jasper obeyed at first, but after a while he rested the soap on top of the sponge and glided it across the surface of the water, playing with them as though they formed a boat. Deciding that to be a sign that the child was feeling more at ease, Esme decided to ask him some questions, though after the way he'd reacted when he thought he was going to be spanked, she didn't want to push him too far.

"Well, I guess I should call your mom and dad to let them know you'll be staying longer for dinner," she began. "Do you know the number?"

Jasper gave a nod, deeply engrossed with his game. "Yes, but they're not my mom and dad. I just live with them."

Esme's brow knitted in confusion at his response. "Why don't you live with your mom and dad, Jasper?"

"They died in a car crash," he replied, having come to terms with the fact he'd never see them again.

"So you live with a new family?" she finished for him. When he answered with a nod, Esme hit forward with her main concern. "Jasper . . . do they hurt you?"

The boy stopped playing with the sponge, watching as the soap fell off into the water and sank to the bottom of the bath tub. He cast a quick glance to her and then lowered his head again.

Reaching forward, Esme placed a hand lightly on the edge of the bath, trying to regain his attention. "Jasper, do they beat you?"

Though he kept his head down, the child inhaled a shaky breath and answered, "They don't like me. They said they wanted to adopt a girl and they got stuck with me instead."

"How often do they hit you, Jasper?" Esme pressed, both dreading but also needing to know the answer.

Small beads formed in Jasper's eyes and began to roll down his cheeks, dropping into the bath water.

"All the time," he managed to utter before bursting into tears.

Esme quickly gathered him out of the tub, swathing him in a towel before setting him on her lap. She wrapped her arms around his small, thin frame and rocked him gently back and forth. She hadn't wanted to upset him all over again. When she began to hum, the gentle sound started to calm the boy, shortly before he slumped into an exhausted sleep against her.

After drying him and dressing him in the clothes she had picked out, Esme carried him to Emmett's bedroom and placed him on the bed, tucking him in with a soft kiss to his forehead. When she returned downstairs, she told her youngest son that he would need to share his bed that night.

When it got a little later and the children were all asleep, Esme collapsed into the caring arms of her husband, Carlisle. She cried with anger and grief at the thought of anyone willingly hurting such an innocent child. It had to stop, and neither she nor Carlisle would let Jasper feel unsafe and unloved anymore.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N:** Thank you to my new readers, and to everyone for your reviews. I've received such a good response to this story so far that I've actually had the urge to sit and write today, the result of which is two and a half more chapters into this story, so as a treat to you all, I'm publishing chapter three a little earlier than I'd planned to, so enjoy!

All recognisable characters are Stephenie Meyers'. I'm just playing with them.

Also, sorry to those who said the previous chapter deserved a tissue warning . . . this one might also.

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**Chapter Three**

Despite the rain from the night before, the sun rose the next morning even brighter, and the forecast on the television assured everyone that it was going to be another unusually hot day in Forks. Esme looked up from cooking breakfast when the sound of pattering feet entered the kitchen.

"Good morning, Emmett . . . Jasper," she greeted the young boys, unable to keep the saddened expression from her face while she watched the smaller, frailer appearing child following her youngest son.

"Morning, Mom."

Emmett pulled out his usual seat at the dining table, instructing his friend to take the one next to him. Even though Jasper was still a little distressed from the night before, he managed to mumble a greeting to Esme while sitting down. She smiled and approached the table, setting down two plates of breakfast for the boys. Emmett tucked into his in an instant, while Jasper sat stabbing a sausage with his fork. Once Jacob arrived for his meal also, Esme gathered a mug of coffee for herself and joined them at the table.

"Jasper, dear. If you don't like the food, you don't have to eat it. I can make you something else," she offered, watching the boy continuing to play with the items on his plate.

As though a switch had been flicked, Jasper raised the fork to his mouth and began forcing down the meal. It was almost like he thought he would be punished if he didn't eat.

"Jasper, I said it's okay if you don't . . ." Esme sighed and gave in, just hoping the child wouldn't choke from eating too fast. Without her doctor of a husband around, she wouldn't have known what to do if that were to happen.

He appeared to manage the food well enough, and considering the sight of the boy from the night before, Esme had managed to look past the scars and bruises to notice how the child's bones stood out beneath the thin layers of skin. She concluded that Jasper hadn't had a decent meal in a long time and even forcing down the breakfast would be better for him than going without.

When the boys had finished eating, she gathered the plates, setting them in the sink to soak. Handing each of them a brown bag packed lunch, she led them to the car and drove them to school.

The day seemed to pass rather quickly, and before Emmett knew it, it was already lunch time. He sat with Jasper in the shade of a tree, and when Paul walked over to join them, he was able to get them to shake hands and be friends despite the incident from the day before. The three of them were laughing and partaking in a food fight when a new shadow cast over them. When they looked up, two pair of eyes studied the stranger in confusion, while the third boy, the smaller of the three, became visibly afraid.

The unknown adult reached down, pulling Jasper to his feet with a tight grip on his wrist. When he turned and began dragging him across the school yard, it was clear to Emmett that his new friend didn't want to go. Mr Molina gave a nod when the man pulled Jasper past and out of the gates. Emmett clambered to his feet and ran to the fence in time to see the boy being forced into the back of a silver car. The door was slammed before the man got behind the wheel and drove away. Exchanging a glance with Paul when he caught up, Emmett then turned and hurried over to the teacher.

"Mr Molina, where is Jasper going?" he asked, tugging on the adult's sleeve.

He just smiled and replied, "He has a dentist appointment."

Emmett doubted that excuse very much, but there wasn't anything he could do. Mr Molina must have been lied to and now Jasper was gone. Catching hold of Paul's arm, he led his best friend back over to the tree and sat in the shade like before.

"I don't like that man that took Jasper away," he stated once they were settled. Paul stared at him with a blank expression of no understanding, leaving Emmett frustrated. "Didn't you see? Jasper was scared and didn't want to go."

"I don't blame him. I wouldn't want to go to the dentist either," Paul replied.

With a faint growl of annoyance, Emmett shook his head. "I don't think that's where he's going. If he isn't back by this afternoon then something is wrong."

Jasper didn't return that afternoon, leaving Emmett to believe his suspicions that there hadn't been a dentist appointment at all. He was unable to shake the look of fear he'd seen in his friend's eyes and the way he'd struggled against the man's grip. That must have been the man that Jasper had said he lived with and that didn't like him.

When he reached the school gates, Esme was standing waiting to collect her sons and she studied her youngest's confused expression.

"What's wrong, Emmy? You look like you've lost something," she observed. With a quick glance around, she realised that Jasper wasn't in sight. "You haven't fallen out with Jasper have you?"

Emmett shook his head. "No. A man took him away at lunch time."

Esme felt an instant concern for the safety of the smaller boy upon hearing that. Though she feared for him, there wasn't anything more she could do. She didn't know where Jasper lived to be able to file a report to the police about her abuse suspicions. Sighing sadly, she caught her son's hand and walked him to the car.

"I'm sure he'll be back tomorrow," she offered, hoping that her words were true. "You'll see him then."

If only she had known how soon they would be seeing Jasper again.

Esme had just finished serving dinner to her family and was sitting down to join them when the sound of urgent knocking started at the front door. Carlisle and his two sons averted their eyes in a way to say that they wouldn't go to answer it, leaving Esme to grumble while standing up again.

When the door opened, a rush of air passed her and she turned to see who had entered. A tall, angry looking man stood before her with a tight grip on the wrist of a small, sobbing boy. Esme gasped in instant recognition of a very frightened Jasper.

The sound of the child's crying caught Carlisle's attention. He stood from his place at the table and hurried into the hallway, shocked to become faced with a man shaking his fist at his wife. Carlisle recognised the boy in his grasp to be Jasper, who he'd briefly met the night before. He refused to stand by and watch the man threatening not just the child, but his wife too. With as much strength as he could muster, Carlisle grabbed the man from behind, shocking him into releasing his grip on his captive. The second that he was free, Jasper ran up the staircase and out of sight.

"Get your fucking hands off me," the man bellowed, turning towards the doctor with a nauseating odour of alcohol and cigarettes on his breath.

"No one storms into my house and threatens my wife," Carlisle demanded. "And I do not abide by the beating of children."

"He deserves it," the drunk slurred. "I fucking hate him."

Owing to the man's state, Carlisle gave just enough of a shove to knock him backwards towards the door. "Get out of my house."

"Fine by me." Turning towards the stairs, he inhaled a deep breath and shouted, "Boy! Get down here right now!"

"No." Carlisle took a step to keep himself between the drunk and the staircase. "He stays. You go."

"He's mine. I own him."

"He stays here and that's final." Moving forward, Carlisle grabbed the man and steered him out of the door. "You will never touch him again."

The doctor's adamance drew a laugh from the abuser. "He belongs to me and you can't keep him away from me."

"Then we'll take him to the court," Esme insisted, speaking up for the first time since he'd burst into her home. "We'll show the world how badly you've treated him and you'll be jailed for life. I won't ever let you hurt him again."

"You want him?" the drunk asked, receiving two nods in reply. "Fine, then fucking keep him. I wash my hands of him. You hear that, boy? I wash my hands of you!"

When the screech of tyres from his vehicle faded along the street, Esme turned to Carlisle with relieved tears in her eyes and hugged him tight. She couldn't help but cry onto his shoulder, though a happy smile shone through also when she raised her head and saw Jasper sitting at the top of the stairs. He was dirty, spattered with blood, fresh bruises and cuts. Beneath that, there was a smile that reached the child's brown eyes. He knew he was safe now, and always would be.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Once again, thank you everyone for your follows, favourites, and your reviews. I'm overwhelmed by the response this story is receiving and it makes me happy to be writing again.

Well, here is chapter four. Enjoy!

All recognisable characters are Stephenie Meyers'. I'm just kidnapping them for our amusement ;)

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**Chapter Four**

Jasper opened his eyes. The room he was in was dark, but he felt calm and relaxed; he was safe. He'd been having the flashback-like dreams for the past few days, but he had no idea what had sparked them to return. Jasper had suffered nightmares for months after the Cullens had saved him, taking him in as their own son. Life since then had been pretty good, leaving him with no reason to be afraid any more.

The only probable cause for the dreams he could think of was that he'd recently asked his girlfriend of three years to marry him. He'd never told Alice about his dark past, so perhaps the dreams were returning to remind him of the things he'd suffered. Sure, she had asked where he'd gotten the scars that were still visible against the pale skin of his back, but he'd just claimed they were the results of childish incidents, such as falling out of trees. Alice had accepted his lies with ease.

Sighing, Jasper lay his head down and rolled over in an attempt to get back to sleep. If he had turned to the left, he would have gotten plenty - but no. He'd just happened to roll onto his right, becoming face to face with his fiancé. It was because of Alice that he couldn't sleep as peacefully as she was. He was due to marry her in just a few months time, and yet he still hid many dark secrets that he hadn't been able to talk to her about. The painful memories were still too close to bear. Wasn't it bad enough that he worked a dead-end job at the outfitter's store and couldn't afford his own home? That was why just now, he and Alice were staying in the attic room of Emmett's house.

Muttering, 'fuck this' under his breath, Jasper sat up with caution so as not to wake his fiancé. He grabbed the nearest baggy t-shirt that had been discarded on the floor and pulled it on. While standing, he re-covered Alice with their blanket and placed a delicate kiss on her lips, then leaning further over, he snatched up his cigarettes and lighter from the bedside table.

The floor was cold against his bare feet, but he didn't care. Once outside the room, the door silently closing behind him, he leaned against the wall. Sticking his finger inside the small box he held, he felt around for a cigarette in the darkness, but the container was empty. An exasperated sigh escaped his lips and he turned towards the door. Alice had said she was giving up smoking, but considering there had been three cigarettes in the box and no one ever went into their room, he realised now that he wasn't the only liar.

Scrunching up the empty packet, Jasper made his way down the wooden ladders from the attic to the next floor of the house. Though Emmett wasn't a smoker himself, there was one other in the house who Jasper knew would have some cigarettes with him. Emmett had met Edward at a bar in Seattle during one of his gigs. Edward played guitar and sang for a rock band, and his bad boy looks had been an instant draw for Jasper's brother. It had been a shock for him and the rest of the family when Emmett had announced his sexuality, but none of them had had any issues with it. Jasper was just glad that his adoptive sibling had found someone who made him happy, and right now, Edward was going to make _him _happy with some nicotine.

When Jasper approached Emmett's bedroom on the second floor, there was a light shining just beneath the door, which he guessed meant they were either still awake, or they had fallen asleep with the lamp on. Resting his ear to the wood, he wasn't completely surprised to hear the soft moans coming from the two men inside, mixed with the Gothic lulls of a CD. Jasper was proud that his brother was open about his sexuality and that he'd found someone to love who loved him back, but that didn't change the fact he was dying for some nicotine.

Bracing one hand on the door, Jasper ran the other through his honey blond hair and inhaled a breath. There was no answer when he gave a quiet knock, so turning the handle, he entered the room and pushed the door partially closed behind him; all the time keeping his gaze on the floorboards. He wasn't ashamed of his brother, or Edward; he just didn't want either of them to feel humiliated or embarrassed by him walking in on them.

"Sorry to intrude, guys," he apologised, more towards the ground than the room. "Edward, I'm out of cigarettes. Could you sub me a couple until tomorrow, please?"

Edward ceased his motions on top of Emmett and turned his head, peering across the room to the shorter man standing by the entrance. He failed to hold in a smile when he noticed Jasper was trying his hardest not to look up.

"Sure, handsome. They're in my jacket pocket on the back of the door next to you," Edward replied, and as an afterthought, he added, "Don't worry about replacing them."

Jasper turned towards the jacket and reached into the nearest pocket, searching for the packet of cigarettes. Taking two out, he returned the box to its rightful place and pulled down on the handle to beat a hasty retreat.

"Sorry I disturbed you," he murmured.

"Don't worry about it. I know how it feels needing a smoke really bad," Edward confirmed. "I'll be out in a while to join you."

With a small nod, Jasper left the room without looking back and closed the door. Smiling, Edward glanced down to the muscular man beneath him and continued to thrust into his lover. Emmett released a guttural moan and opened his eyes.

"You never used to sub me cigarettes when I was still smoking," he whined.

"That's because I didn't like you smoking," Edward answered between rocks of his hips. "I didn't want you to die."

"You want Jasper to die?" Emmett asked with a shocked tone.

"Of course not." Edward laughed, causing vibrations to run through his body into Emmett's. "I didn't mean it like that, babe. I have a soft spot for that kid, and I can tell he's dying for a smoke."

Emmett moaned louder when Edward rubbed against his prostate.

"What do you mean you have a soft spot for Jasper? You love him?" he asked with a hint of jealousy in his voice; he wanted Edward to himself.

The slimmer man shook his head and leaned down, biting his partner's neck to leave his mark. "Yes, I love Jasper - like a brother."

A deeper groan slipped from Emmett's lips when his gland was brushed again, causing Edward to thrust faster and a little harder until they came together, panting each other's names.

Jasper inhaled deeply from his cigarette. When he released the smoke, it formed into a ring and swirled towards the ceiling before disappearing into the air. He snapped out of his daydreams when Edward entered the lounge and took a seat on the couch beside him, lighting his own cancer stick while sucking in quick drags. Jasper turned towards him, opened his mouth, closed it, and then stared at the floor. When Edward spoke, he looked up again.

"If you have something to say, then just say it," the musician instructed. "You don't have to be nervous around me."

"I know," the younger man replied, turning his focus back down to his bare feet. "I'm sorry I walked in on you guys . . . doing 'it'. I know you both like your privacy together. I won't do it again."

Edward smirked. "Jazz, I've known you for years and I've never once seen you as jumpy and as nervous as you've been the last few days. What's wrong, love? Is it because I'm here?"

"No," he replied with haste, the outburst shocking himself.

"Are you sure about that?"

Jasper nodded. "It isn't you, Edward. It's just . . . I haven't been sleeping well lately. I keep having bad dreams and stuff, so please don't think I'm like this because of you."

Edward swung his legs around and up onto the couch, sitting sideways with his legs crossed to give Jasper his full attention. "You know, talking about your problems helps a lot."

"It's not a problem," he insisted. "Not any more."

"But it was a problem once, and apparently it's coming back to bite you on the ass. The only way to solve it is to get it off your chest." When Jasper remained silent, Edward placed his hand on his shoulder and offered a squeeze of comfort. "Jazz, I've seen good friends get eaten up by their problems. They were never the same again, and many of them ended up in an early grave."

"I don't think I'm as bad as that." Jasper raised his head to look Edward in the eye. "I'm not suicidal."

The musician grinned and clapped him on the back. "Good to hear it. Now, what's wrong?"

Sighing, Jasper reached into his pocket for another cigarette, before he realised that he'd already smoked the two that Edward had subbed him. Noticing this, Edward plucked the packet from his own pocket and Jasper took one, mumbling a thanks while he lit it.

"I've just been having some bad dreams about when I was a kid," he finally revealed.

"You mean about the abuse?" Edward pressed. He held up a hand when Jasper's fawn eyes filled with shock. "Emmett told me about it when I noticed your scars and the way you get jumpy whenever Esme starts yelling about something. It's okay, Jazz. I haven't told anyone."

"Emmett had no right to tell you," Jasper grumbled while looking away.

Edward nodded in understanding. "He's noticed how jumpy you've been lately too. He's worried about you, but he doesn't know how to talk to you about it."

"I'll be fine," he insisted. Standing up, he rubbed his arm nervously and stubbed out the cigarette. "I'm gonna try and get some sleep. I have to be up early to get some stuff sorted for the wedding."

"Take care, Jasper."

Edward watched as the younger man headed back upstairs towards his attic room. He was aware that Jasper had a lot of ghosts holding him back from his full potential, but they all just needed to give him the time to decide when he was ready to deal with them.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: **Thanks new readers, and everyone for your reviews. I've done a lot of writing today, so treating you to the next chapter. Enjoy!

All recognisable characters are Stephenie Meyers'. I promise to clean them up before giving them back.

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**Chapter Five**

Emmett walked down the stairs. It was ten past four in the afternoon and he was still tired despite the long hours he'd slept for. He yawned while pulling on his t-shirt and scratched a hand through his short, raven hair.

When Edward had returned to bed the night before, he'd told him that Jasper had confessed to having nightmares about the abuse and that it clearly was bothering him, so Emmett assumed that was why he hadn't slept well himself. He'd known something was up with his adopted sibling, but he'd expected it to be something stupid like wedding jitters, not the nightmares again. Knowing that fact had caused Emmett to have a night of bad dreams himself, all revolving around Jasper. They had been the 'what if' dreams. What if he'd never seen him again after that day his foster dad had dragged him out of the playground? What if Carlisle hadn't stood up to the man when he'd come into their home and threatened their family? What if the court hadn't ruled in their favour and Jasper had been placed back in the custody of his foster parents?

Emmett shuddered and tried to shake off the memories. He didn't want to remember any of that, but he also understood that he was the lucky one. He could roll over and forget whenever he wanted to, but Jasper never would. The internal and external scars would never let him.

Emmett stopped walking when he heard voices coming from the lounge. Grabbing a soda from the kitchen, he passed through the entrance and walked towards the two people sitting side by side on the couch. His bare feet were silent on the crimson carpet and neither of them realised he was standing behind them.

"I think I like the white with cream, but the white with lavender is just as nice. Oh, I don't know which one to pick," Alice said, pointing down to the pictures in the bridal magazine on her lap.

Jasper sighed and rubbed his temples. They'd been at it since half past nine that morning and he was getting a splitting headache.

"Well, the sooner you choose, the sooner we can move on with the preparations, because the colours on your dress will determine the colours of everything else," he tried to explain.

"I know," Alice confirmed, pointing to another. "The cream and lemon is so adorable too. I can't decide, it's too hard."

"Why don't you talk to Esme about all of this, because I sure as heck can't help you decide, Ali. I'm not even meant to see the dress."

When he stood and turned to go upstairs, Jasper's heart felt like it would beat right through his ribcage at the shock of realising Emmett was standing there. His brother ignored the expression on Jasper's face and stood with a priceless smirk on his own.

"Are you regretting proposing now, Jazz? It's not easy, is it? I figured that out with Rosalie. They want anything and everything." Emmett laughed and glanced between the two incredulous faces staring back at him. "Oh, but you two make such a sweet couple."

"It's better than being a shit stealer," Alice retorted, glaring at the bigger man. It wasn't the first time Emmett had tried to talk Jasper out of the marriage and it was really starting to annoy her.

Emmett was about to throw back a few curses at her, but Jasper cut in. "Shut up, both of you! God, you two are always fighting, I swear half the time you two act like the bickering married couple. Just shut the fuck up!"

Jasper turned and stormed out of the room, punching his fist against the brickwork next to the back door while he walked out. Emmett had an ample garden and he walked its length back and forth a while before sitting on the steps, staring at his bleeding knuckles. His hand throbbed, but the pain was welcomed, like a deep breath after being underwater for too long.

He wasn't sure why he'd shouted at Emmett and Alice. It must have been to do with the nightmares he'd been having. He was becoming cranky far too often, getting annoyed at random things with too much ease, and because he'd bottle it all up for so long, he had finally snapped. The only problem was that he'd snapped at the wrong people. Both Emmett and Alice cared about him, Jasper knew that. They weren't trying to hurt him, they were simply bickering because each wanted to show their love for him in their own ways. What was hurting Jasper most was the past. Deep down, he knew Edward had been right the night before. He needed to face it full on before he could be free from it. The main issue was the fact he was too afraid to.

Emmett had watched Jasper pacing the garden, and seeing him settle on the steps was the perfect opportunity he needed. Picking out his pellet gun and some ammo from his storage cupboard, Emmett walked out of the house to join his brother. In his eyes, shooting pellets at the trees surrounding his yard was a perfect stress reliever . . . other than fucking Edward . . . but Jasper wasn't into that kind of thing.

Nudging the shorter man in the back once he was close enough, Emmett held out the gun when Jasper looked up to him. The blond took it without a word and stared at the inscription engraved onto the butt of the rifle. It had been a birthday gift to Emmett from Carlisle when the youth had begged and begged his elder. After a moment, Jasper met his brother's gaze again with a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"Jazz." Emmett sighed and sat down on the steps by him. "I'm sorry, okay? I was just trying to lighten the mood in there. I could see you were getting stressed with all this wedding stuff."

Jasper gave a faint nod and turned his focus back on the gun. Though it had been a gift for Emmett, he'd had his fair share of firing shots at the trees around the property and even he had to admit it was a good stress reliever. Standing up, he cocked the gun to begin loading it with the pellets.

"Well, I'm sure after this I'll feel much better," he confirmed.

"That's the spirit," Emmett cheered, gaining his feet to help his brother. It was only a few seconds later that he noticed a rather mischievous glaze over his sibling's eyes. "What?"

"How long has Jake's car been at the end of the yard?" Jasper asked, nodding towards a decaying old VW Rabbit.

Emmett followed his gaze and shrugged. "Over two years. He keeps saying he'll come out here and fix it up to perfect condition, but the wife and kid keep him too busy."

"That's long enough to know it'll just turn into a pile of rust right there, so I'll make you a bet," he propositioned. "Fifty bucks says I can smash the back window from here."

"Fifty? I dunno, Jazz; that's a bit steep," Emmett commented.

"Well, if you don't want to earn some money . . ." Jasper began.

"Fine, but keep your wallet handy, bro." Emmett gave him a playful shove. "You get three shots or you owe me fifty big ones."

Nodding, Jasper moved to the edge of the step and raised the rifle to rest the butt against his shoulder. He cocked the gun ready to fire and stared down the barrel while taking aim. When he squeezed the trigger, a pellet shot from the end through the air and chipped against the back window of the Rabbit, but it didn't break.

"That's one," Emmett commented smugly.

Taking aim again, Jasper followed the same process and received the same result as before.

"That's two."

"I can count, Em." Jasper huffed, starting to lose faith in his own shooting skills.

Aware that it was his last chance to avoid losing the only money he had left in his wallet, Jasper studied the vehicle across the yard from him. Aiming directly at the window had done no good so far, but when a chilly Forks breeze blew, the motion of the leaves above the car caught his attention. There was a branch that had been loosened by a storm a few days before. A small hit and it would fall. That was it! Jasper aimed for the branch, squeezed the trigger, and released the final pellet. It sailed through the air, hitting the branch on target which proceeded to fall down onto Jacob's old car, smashing through the back window.

Emmett's jaw fell and he shook his head. "That was cheating."

"How was it?" Jasper asked, passing him the rifle once the safety catch was in place. "I said I'd smash the back window and I did, so I win."

When Jasper held his hand out for his winnings, Emmett grumbled and shook his head. "I'll pay you later. I need to go to the ATM."

"Fine, but now for the real fun," Jasper stated.

Crossing the yard, he entered the garage and emerged seconds later with a sledgehammer. Before Emmett could realise what he was up to, Jasper circled the car and then swung with all his might, smashing the hammer through the driver's side window. Despite his shock, Emmett stayed back and folded his arms, grinning while he watched his smaller brother relieving his pent up anger on their older sibling's car. He even started shouting encouragements to him, aware that the more stress Jasper released now on the car would be less stress that he released on himself or someone else later.

While Jasper continued to strike the hammer against the vehicle, he couldn't stop the images from flooding into his mind. The flickers that had been haunting his dreams for the past few weeks. The memories of all the things that had been done to him that had left him scarred both in body, mind, and soul. He tried to block them by replacing them with pictures of his foster parents who had done the horrible things. In place of the car, that was all he could see, and he took the hammer to them so violently that he didn't even notice when his hands connected with the metal and glass. He could imagine smashing the hammer hard across his foster father's head, killing him in an instant, and as the pain of the memories and his bleeding hands increased, Jasper couldn't stop the tears of anger and frustration from rising to his eyes.

He only dropped the hammer when a pair of caring arms wrapped around his waist and pulled him away from the trashed mess that had previously been Jacob's car. Emmett could see the pain and fury in his brother's eyes, and after noticing the physical harm he was doing to himself, he just had to stop him. He turned Jasper around to face him and cocooned him in his arms, letting his sibling cry against his shoulder until there were no more tears left to shed. When Emmett helped Jasper back into the house and up to his attic bedroom, he sat them down on the bed, able to see the pain his brother was in and he knew the time had come for Jasper to get his problems off his chest.

For nearing three hours, Jasper whispered his pain-filled memories to Emmett, who listened and only spoke to encourage him to keep talking, to keep letting it all out. By the time the third hour had passed, Jasper was exhausted from both the talking and the crying, and his eyes were puffy and red. Lying down beside him, Emmett took his brother's hand and stroked his thumb over the tender knuckles which he'd encouraged Jasper to let him clean and bandage. The weary man's breath caught in his throat when Emmett's thumb trailed over a particularly sore spot, but he didn't move away; he was comforted by the caress.

"Em . . ."

Jasper's whisper was so quiet that Emmett barely heard him. Leaning up on his elbow, he peered down at his brother and gave a small nod to show that he was listening.

"There's something else that happened when I was little," Jasper confessed. "Before I moved to Forks."

Emmett remained silent, waiting like he had earlier for his sibling to get it all off his chest, but Jasper didn't. Instead, he turned his face away, ashamed of what had happened. When he tried to tell Emmett what it was, his voice was too quiet and distorted with fresh tears. Reaching over him, Emmett touched his chin and directed the watery eyes back towards him.

"I didn't catch that last part, Jazz," he whispered in encouragement.

Jasper's eyes closed and he swallowed before trying again.

"I was raped . . ."

Emmett opened his mouth to speak, but he was too stunned to make a sound. He was more than aware how sore it could sometimes be to have anal sex, but it could never be more painful than being taken by force.

"Your foster dad raped you?" he asked, keeping hold of his brother's hand, aware that Jasper needed the contact and comfort more now than ever.

He shook his head. "No, he never did, but his friends . . . They would come around the house for beers and pizza and to watch the football games."

"What happened?" Emmett pressed, dreading the answer whilst at the same time knowing Jasper needed to talk about it to someone.

"I was in my room playing with my toy soldiers when one of the men came in. He locked the door behind him. He must have hit me because everything went black. I just remember waking up bleeding and in pain . . ." Jasper raised a hand and wiped away his tears before continuing. "When my foster father found out, he just laughed and said that I was a good investment after all. He started selling me to his mates . . . and total strangers too. Then we had to move here because he got a tip off that the cops knew what he was doing to me and that they were after him. So we went on the run, and that's when I met you."

Emmett nodded thoughtfully, despite being horrified by what he'd just heard. "Well . . . maybe moving here wasn't such a bad investment either, eh?"

Jasper cracked a smile for the first time that day and nodded before lying on his side, closing his eyes in exhaustion. Emmett noticed and stood up to leave the attic, but a quiet voice stopped his movements.

"Em . . . don't go."

Smiling, he lay back down on the bed and held his brother close so Jasper would drift off while feeling safe. It didn't take long for the soft snores to lull Emmett to sleep too.

Edward had searched everywhere in the house for Emmett. The cars hadn't gone, so he had to be there somewhere. He sighed after a second tour of the building, until after a moment he realised that there was still one room he hadn't checked. He'd had no reason to until now. Climbing the wooden ladder up to the attic, Edward knocked the door to Jasper's room, but there was no answer. He quietly pushed the door open, easily making out the forms of the two brothers sleeping peacefully side by side. Smiling to himself, Edward closed the door and made his way back downstairs with the sense that the worst of the storm had passed.

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**A/N #2: **Or is it? *dun dun duuuuuun*


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **Thanks everyone for your reviews.

Recognisable characters belong to Stephenie Meyers. I'm just borrowing them.

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**Chapter Six**

Jasper woke with a start. He'd had another nightmare and was dripping with a cold sweat. Shoving the blankets off himself, he climbed out of bed and into the en-suite bathroom, looking at himself in the mirror. His appearance was that of someone suffering with the flu. Sighing, he turned on the tap and let the cold water run through a while before he cupped some and rubbed it into his eyes. Shutting off the tap, Jasper grabbed a towel from nearby and wiped his face dry while padding his way back into the bedroom. He noticed then that Emmett was no longer sleeping in his bed. Instead, Alice was in his place and from the appearance of the room, they'd swapped over some time ago.

Quietly opening the door, Jasper descended the ladder and looked both ways in the hallway when he reached the bottom. The house felt a little chilly while he walked the few feet along the floorboards to Emmett's bedroom door. A light was shining beneath like before and he could hear a random CD playing inside, mixing with the moans of the two occupants.

_So much for Emmett not going_, he thought. Turning away, he continued down the staircase and into the lounge, aiming intently towards the liquor cabinet. After pulling the doors open, he located a shot glass and poured himself some whiskey. He raised it to his lips and was about to take a sip when a voice from behind startled him.

"It's a bit early in the morning to be drinking, don't you think?"

Turning abruptly, Jasper located a rather intoxicated looking Paul lounging on the couch with an empty bottle of beer threatening to fall from his limp hand. Jasper smiled to himself. Paul had remained his and Emmett's friend all through school and into adulthood, but he was one hell of a layabout. He hadn't held down a job since high school finished, and he often came by the house to get drunk and sleep on the couch.

Jasper necked the shot of whiskey and poured himself another, then grabbing a fresh bottle of beer from the mini-fridge, he crossed the room towards Paul. He could see the lust for alcohol in the other man's eyes when he took the bottle, opening it in an instant.

"I would say the same to you," Jasper retorted. "But something tells me that you haven't stopped drinking since last night."

Paul laughed and held up his bottle, leaving Jasper to tap his glass against the neck, both saying 'cheers' before taking a sip.

"So, I know why I'm awake drinking, but why are you awake drinking?" Paul asked with a slur.

Looking down, Jasper stared into the depths of the brown liquor in his glass. "I couldn't sleep. I figured something strong and alcoholic would knock me out so I could sleep well for once."

Paul smirked. "Yeah, that used to be my excuse too, until I found myself drinking every single night to try and get a good night sleep. Honestly, dude, I don't want you turning out like me."

When he lifted his gaze, Jasper could see the sincerity in his eyes and he smiled. "Honestly, dude, I don't want to turn out like you, either."

Drinking down the rest of the whiskey, Jasper set the glass on the table next to where he was sitting and leaned back in the chair, resting his head back so he was staring at the ceiling. He could see small clouds of dust drifting down from the wooden beams beneath where Emmett's room was situated, and he couldn't help but smile. He knew that the only way Emmett could tear himself away from Edward for just one whole day would most likely be on the day he died. Jasper had known Edward for four years, and it seemed that every single day that he was in Forks or the surrounding area, Emmett was always with him. Jasper really didn't mind though; it was romantic, even if it was in a stalking kind of way. Emmett and Edward were happy in each other's company though, and that was what mattered most.

It was during his musing of this fact that Jasper came to realise it had fallen quiet in the lounge. Sitting up a bit, he glanced over to the couch and noticed that Paul had passed out, and the beer he'd been holding had spilt onto the carpet. Jasper stood and hurried into the kitchen, returning a moment later with a dry dish cloth and he lay it down over the spill, stepping on it to soak up the mess. The cloth quickly became drenched in the beer and he fetched two more, stamping on each until most of the alcohol had lifted from the carpet. Picking up the empty bottle, Jasper then gathered the ruined towels and carried them through the back door and out to the trash cans to dispose of them.

After replacing the lids securely to keep the rodents out, he turned to go back into the house, but something out of place caught his eye through the darkness. There was a car parked near the end of the driveway. The vehicle wasn't one that Jasper recognised to be any of Emmett's friends. When he approached to check it out, he noticed that there was a man sitting behind the wheel, but through the darkness, Jasper only saw him as a shadow. The driver rolled down the window when he reached the door, but still Jasper couldn't make out any of his features while standing right in front of him.

"Excuse me, this is private land. You're not allowed to park here," he stated. "You'll have to leave right now."

The man in the car moved as though he was going to drive away, but then settled back into the seat. Raising his hand towards his mouth, he flicked a lighter and lit a cigarette hanging from his mouth. The flame from the lighter illuminated his face and Jasper stepped back in shock. The man sitting before him was older, thinner, and bore more scars, but there was no mistaking him. It was his foster father.

Jasper wanted to turn and run, but he couldn't will his legs to move. Just one glimpse of the man drew back many horrid and painful memories that kept him frozen in place. His foster father had received nineteen years in prison for the terrible things he'd done, but the time had passed so quickly and Jasper managed to clear his mind just enough to realise that he'd been out of prison for over a year.

James grinned at Jasper's recognition of him and opened the door, stepping out of his car. Jasper managed a small step back in retreat, but a pair of rough hands caught his shoulders from behind, preventing him from moving further away from his foster father. James walked closer until he was a step in front of the younger man, and he exhaled the cigarette smoke into his face. Jasper was used to the smell and didn't react, but the scent of the nicotine perked up his cravings despite his shock that his abuser was standing before him.

"Couldn't spare one of those, could you?" he asked with a waver in his voice.

James laughed and removed the cigarette from his mouth, offering it to him. Jasper put it to his lips and inhaled deeply, needing the toxic comfort.

"You put me through hell, boy," James uttered through a snarl. "Nineteen long years of hell, and here you are living it up like nothing happened."

"Believe me when I say it's not like that," Jasper replied. "What do you care, anyway? You washed your hands of me, remember?"

The grip on his shoulders increased and James closed the gap between them. "I gave you what you deserved, boy."

Jasper shuddered at his proximity, but he found a last ounce of courage. "Well I hope you got a taste of your own medicine while you were rotting away in prison."

James glared at the youth before nodding to the man who held onto him. When the rough hands tightened further, Jasper dropped the cigarette and found himself being dragged towards the back door of the car. He was forced inside and he struggled on instinct to get back out, but a sharp pain erupted across the side of his head and everything went black.

When Jasper woke, his head ached and felt like the size of a watermelon. His hair was matted on his left temple with a warm and sticky fluid that he assumed must have been blood. He opened his eyes, only to close them again in haste. There was a bright light shining down on him, almost like a surgical light in a hospital. Maybe that was where he was; in the hospital.

He attempted to raise a hand towards his throbbing temple, but his arm wouldn't move. Turning his head to one side, he cracked his eyes just a little to avoid too much light and peered down the length of his arm. His wrist was shackled to the side of the bed with a leather binding, similar to the kind used in the mental institutions in movies he'd seen.. Jasper tried again to lift his arm, but the binding as too tight and there was bruising where his skin was tender beneath the leather cuff. When he tried to move his legs, his ankles were tied down too.

The door clicked when it opened and a man entered the room. Jasper raised his eyes and saw the last man on earth he would ever want to see, and the memories of what had happened that night returned to him. He could remember having a drink in the lounge with Paul, who had then passed out, spilling his beer. He'd gone outside to throw away the cloths when he'd seen the car. Jasper could remember the brief conversation followed by being hit over the head, which explained the aching he was now experiencing.

"So, you're finally awake," James observed while lighting a cigarette. "Took you long enough."

"Where am I?" Jasper asked, afraid of what the answer might be.

"Well, I guess there's no harm in telling you. You won't live long enough to tell anyone else." James snickered and approached the bed. "I'm surprised you don't recognise the room. Sure, it's changed a bit, but it's been specially re-arranged for your fleeting visit."

Turning his head to each side, Jasper peered around the room for a moment before the realisation struck him. It was his old bedroom. He'd spent a lot of time locked up in those four walls during his childhood. James had gone through the trouble of removing him from Forks and taking him back to Oregon, but for what reason?

"Why did you bring me here?" he dared to ask. "What do you want with me?"

"I want you to know the hell I've been through for the past nineteen years," James spat out in anger. "And believe me when I say that you're going to experience it first hand."

Jasper turned his face away, wishing that he'd just stayed in bed and let the nightmares consume him, rather than going outside for the nightmares to become a reality. He flinched when he felt the cold of a blade slip down the neck of his t-shirt, ripping down the side to remove the clothing from him. The motion stopped and Jasper turned his eyes towards his abuser, noticing that he was staring at a mark on his chest.

"What does that tattoo mean?" James asked, studying an intricate pattern of thorns and roses surrounding the letter 'A'.

Jasper didn't want to answer. He screamed when James dug the knife into his arm, drawing fresh blood.

"It's nothing," he choked out through the new pain.

"It must be something, otherwise you wouldn't have it."

Jasper grit his teeth when the blade twisted near his elbow. "Alice . . . it means Alice. She's . . . my fiancé."

"Fiancé." James laughed and withdrew the knife. "So, you're engaged. Well, when we dump your body, we're not going to want anyone identifying you, are we, boy? So, I'm afraid that tattoo is going to have to go."

He moved the blade towards Jasper's chest and began slashing at the ink. The younger man's cries of pain echoed throughout the room, and neither the screams nor the slicing ceased until the tattoo was unrecognisable.


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N:** Thanks everyone for keeping up with this story and reviewing often. I'll be writing more to it over the next few days.

All characters are stephenie meyers'. No copyright intended yada yada.

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**Chapter Seven**

Edward walked down the stairs, holding a ringing cell phone. When Emmett spotted him, he hung up his own and the device ceased chirping.

"It was in his room," Edward revealed.

Emmett sat down and brushed his fingers through his hair in frustration. "Jazz never goes anywhere without his phone. I've called everywhere else I can think of and no one has seen him. He hasn't gone to work, and even Alice hasn't seen him since she went to bed last night."

"He'll turn up," Edward offered, attempting to console his lover. "Maybe he went for a morning run to blow off some steam."

"He would have taken his phone. I just don't get it. Something must have happened, and this asshole isn't co-operating," Emmett stated, throwing a nod towards Paul who was still lying on the couch, releasing a drunken chuckle every now and then.

Edward smiled and disappeared into the kitchen, returning a few seconds later. "Hey, Paul, you want another beer?"

"Fuck, yeah," the alcoholic replied, reaching for the bottle that Edward held.

"You answer our questions, then you can have all the beer that your fucked up liver can take," Edward compromised.

"I already told him that it wasn't me," Paul objected. "I didn't scratch his car."

Emmett glared. "I know it was you, you asshole, but that's not what we want to know. Have you seen Jasper?"

"I didn't scratch it," the drunk slurred.

Edward took a step closer, dangling the bottle in front of him. "Have you seen Jasper today?"

Paul stared at the beer and then gave a nod. "Yeah. He was down here early this morning, knocking back the whiskey."

The sober men exchanged a glance and Emmett asked, "Where did he go then?"

"I don't know, dude. I passed out, then the next thing I know, my beer is missing and you assholes are giving me the twenty questions," Paul complained. "Now, gimme a beer!"

Edward passed him the bottle with a sigh and turned towards his partner. "This is getting us nowhere."

Emmett nodded in agreement. "Did you check to see if his car was still on the driveway?"

"No." The musician shook his head. "I thought you were going to check."

Standing up, Emmett crossed the room and left through the back door with Edward close behind. They walked side by side around the house through the drizzle towards the front of the building. Sensing his lover's anxiety, Edward took his hand and pulled him closer in step.

"Jazz can look after himself, Em," he consoled. "I'm sure wherever he is, he's safe and he'll be back when he feels like it. Maybe all this wedding stuff is just weighing him down and he's gone to take a deep breath."

Emmett was unsure and didn't seem comforted by Edward's words, especially when they reached the driveway and discovered Jasper's sixth-hand old car still sitting untouched in its place.

"Now what?" Emmett asked.

Edward shrugged and looked around, then spotting something on the ground, he walked away. Emmett noticed the sudden change in his lover and followed behind. When he caught up, Edward was crouching on the ground, picking up a cigarette butt.

"Now's really not the time to be thinking about smoking," Emmett grumbled. "I'm really worried about Jasper."

Edward stood with a stiff nod. "Me too. Something definitely happened here last night."

"What do you mean?"

When the musician pointed towards the ground, Emmett followed his gaze. The first thing he noticed was the remains of rubber from a tyre where a car had sped away fast. As he stepped closer, he spotted a few dots of blood beginning to wash away with the rain. Sharing a quick look, Emmett pulled out his phone.

"I'm calling the cops."

Jasper flinched when the knife was pulled out of his thigh, ripping his jeans more in the process. He'd given up screaming long ago, though he wasn't sure how long his foster father had held him captive. His throat was hoarse and his eyes sore. He doubted any amount of pain could make him cry now.

James dropped the blade onto the bedside table when the door burst open and his companion in crime entered the room.

"You have to come and see the news," Laurent demanded, sounding rather alarmed.

James followed him downstairs and into the lounge, where the TV was on the news channel for the whole of the pacific north west. A recent photo of Jasper was on the screen, while the anchor lady reported him to be missing. There was a contact number, along with the request for any information about his disappearance.

"This might work in our favour." James grinned and turned to his assistant. "Find me an envelope and a stamp and bring it up to the room."

While Laurent sought out what had been asked of him, James returned upstairs to the bedroom Jasper was being held in and crossed the floor to him, grabbing the youth's chin to make him look up. Jasper's skin was chilled to the touch and pale from the blood loss.

"Don't worry, boy, it won't be long now. You're already half dead," James mocked. "We're going to make this a bit more fun. Not so much for you, but for your loved ones; the ones who were the cause of me getting sent down."

Jasper couldn't move or speak. He was too weak and in pain to do either. He could only watch and fear as James left the room, returning a moment later with something that he couldn't see. Jasper's vision went black when a cloth was wound around his head, covering his eyes to blindfold him. He heard the clatter of the knife on the table a moment before it connected with his body again and again, widening tender wounds and carving fresh ones. When the room fell silent, he began to panic. Something was going on, but he didn't know what. Most of all he worried about what James had meant, and what he had in store for his adoptive family.

He flinched when there was a sudden click nearby, but there was no fresh pain. Though he wasn't sure what was going on, the fact it didn't hurt more than he already was put him beyond caring.

The clicking stopped after a few minutes and James turned to his companion, passing him the polaroid pictures. "Mail these."

Emmett had tried everything to find his brother, but nothing seemed to be working and he'd been missing for three days now. Esme and Carlisle had both tried comforting their son, but he refused to rest until Jasper was back home safe. Though the Cullens were worried sick for the young man they were missing, Esme was also worried about her middle child and had gone to the store to buy groceries, needing to encourage him to eat. When she returned, she placed down a pile of envelopes on the table in front of Emmett.

"You have mail," she commented. "I'm going to make us all a filling stew. I know it's hard, but we need to keep our strengths up, too."

When she left to go into the kitchen, Edward sat on the couch beside his partner, watching as he just stared into space. Sighing, the musician picked up the mail and began to sort it. The majority of the envelopes were bills or junk, but a thicker parcel caught his attention and he opened it. Edward gasped at the sight of the contents and dropped them to the floor.

"What?" Emmett asked, finally snapping from his daze to focus on his lover. Noticing the mess on the ground, he stooped down to gather the pictures and quickly flicked through them. Each one brought tears of grief to his eyes and he choked back a sob. "Mom!"

Every picture showed the ghastly image of Jasper tied to a bed. Many of them focused in on each wound that had been inflicted on him; twenty-six in total.

The chief of police, Charlie Swan, arrived in record time. He took the pictures as evidence, but there was nothing more he could do or say with no way of tracking the sender. Another two days passed without any further word from Jasper or his captors.

When the phone rang in the kitchen, Esme was the first to answer it. She had managed to persuade Emmett and Edward to get some rest and they hadn't long gone to their room. Esme listened to the voice on the other end of the phone for a few seconds before she broke down crying. After setting the phone down, she hurried upstairs and burst into her son's room.

"Emmy, they found him," she managed to gasp between her tears, rousing her groggy son from his bed.

"What?" he asked. "Where? Where is he?"

"Seattle hospital," she replied, pulling him into a fierce hug once he stood. "They checked the envelope for DNA and Jasper's foster father's was on there. They located him at the old address in Oregon and they arrested him and another man. Jasper was flown to Seattle."

"Thank God," Emmett breathed out in relief, turning towards the bed. "Edward, wake up!"

"Em . . . there's something else," Esme uttered, trying to hold back her grief.

"What?" he asked, afraid of the approaching answer.

"Those pictures . . . Chief Swan said that was just the start. He's worse now and he's lost a lot of blood. He's . . . in a coma."


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: **Sorry for the delay in updating, folks. I have no excuse other than that I enjoyed leaving you to sweat to see what happened next :D Yes, I'm evil!

All recognisable characters are Stephenie Meyers. No copyright intended.

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**Chapter Eight**

When Jasper woke, he found himself once again staring up at a bright light. A shiver ran down the length of his spine while he glanced around with a frantic anxiety, but the room had changed. He was no longer in his old bedroom in Oregon. He was in a hospital for sure this time, but that didn't put his mind at ease. His body was stiff and sore, and when he attempted to move, the pain was too intense.

"Jazz, you're awake."

Emmett stood from where he'd been perched on a chair at the foot of the bed. Edward had long since fallen asleep nearby, but Emmett had been unable to rest. He'd been at his brother's bedside in Seattle General for the past three days.

Jasper tensed at the first sound of a voice, fearing for a moment that it was all a dream and he was still in that old house at the mercy of James. Emmett noticed his unease and cautiously sat on the edge of the bed, resting his hand over Jasper's.

"Hey, it's okay. You're safe now, Jazz," he consoled. "I'm so sorry, Jasper. I shouldn't have left you alone that night with how upset you were. Can you remember what happened?"

Jasper turned his face away to stare at the blank hospital room wall. He could detect from Emmett's tone that he was feeling bad about what had happened, but he couldn't deal with apologies and questions right now.

Sighing, Emmett lowered his head and ran his thumb gently over his brother's knuckles. He didn't know how to help Jasper feel better, didn't even know if he could, but he wanted so much to let his sibling know that he was safe and loved.

A shuffling sound drew his attention towards the foot of the bed. Edward had woken and was pulling his chair closer to sit at his side.

"How's he doing?" he asked, innocently.

Jasper snapped his head around to glare at the musician, as if to say, 'I'm right here!' Edward understood and posed his question directly to the patient, but Jasper turned his face away again.

"Well, as you can see he's awake, but he hasn't said anything yet," Emmett responded for him.

"That's understandable with what he's gone through," Edward agreed. "We just need to give him time to heal."

"Yeah, I know. I'm gonna go and call Mom and Dad so they know he's awake. Do you guys want anything?" Edward accepted the offer of a coffee, but Jasper continued to stare at the closed window. "Okay, well I'll be back soon."

Emmett stood and squeezed his lover's shoulder gently in passing while he left the room. Edward watched him going with a faint smile, and then turned his focus back towards the younger man. He was surprised to find Jasper was watching him, and he pulled his chair a little nearer to the bed.

"Jazz, I don't know what you've been through, but I know it must have been really traumatic for you. It's going to take time to get over it, I understand that." He trailed off in the hopes of receiving a reply, but Jasper continued to just stare at him. "Everyone is worried sick about you, especially Emmett. He blames himself for what happened to you because he left you alone that night to come and sleep with me. The guilt is eating at him. I've tried explaining to him that he could easily sleep through a bomb going off, so there's no way he'd have heard you leaving your room, but he won't listen. He blames all of this on himself."

Jasper's eyes began to fill with tears and he closed them, swallowing hard at the dry lump of emotion in his throat. Noticing that, Edward stood and perched on the edge of the bed, taking hold of the patient's hand.

"Jazz, don't cry. It's all going to be okay now. You're safe," he assured him, but there was no stopping the tears that the younger man spilled.

Edward began to panic, unsure of what to do to calm Jasper down again. He'd never had to deal with anything like that before and he didn't know what to do to help him. Only one thing came to mind and he chose to give it a try. He would do anything to calm down the weeping man on the hospital bed in front of him; a man he'd grown to love as his own little brother.

"_No one can hurt you now_

_In this haven safe and sound._

_No one can save you now_

_From this grace you are drowning in;_

_Just hold your breath on your way down._

_This fortress of tears_

_I've built from my fears for you._

_This fortress won't fall_

_I've built it strong for you._

_No once can free you now_

_From the chains around your heart._

_Don't be afraid now_

_Just dive in the emptiness_

_And hold your breath on your way down."_

Edward stopped singing one of his many songs and glanced over his shoulder when he sensed another presence in the room. Emmett had returned and he reclaimed the seat at his lover's side. He passed the coffee he'd collected to Edward, who was about to thank him, but a voice broke the silence in the room; a voice so quiet, hoarse, and innocent that it would have brought a tear to anyone's eyes.

"No one can hurt you now . . ."

Edward smiled and turned his gaze back towards Jasper, continuing to sing to help comfort the hurting man. Now he had calmed, the lulls of the musician soothed Jasper back to sleep.

"You have the voice of an angel," Emmett whispered, careful to not reawaken his sibling. "I think only the voice of an angel could have sent him back to sleep."

"He's safe now," Edward confirmed, turning to look at him. "Which means you need to stop blaming yourself."

Sighing, Emmett stared down into his own throwaway cup of coffee. "It was my fault. I should have stayed with . . ."

"I told Jasper that you blame yourself for what happened to him, and guess what happened," Edward said, cutting off his self pity. When Emmett shook his head, he continued, "He started crying, Em. That's why I was singing to him, to help calm him down."

Emmett looked towards his sleeping brother. "He was crying because of me?"

"No. He was crying because of the torturing you're doing to yourself. Do you know what I saw in his eyes when he heard what I told him?" Edward asked. When Emmett shook his head again, his lover gave him the answer. "He's like a book; easy to read. I could see right through him. When I told him about your guilt, I could see that he didn't blame you and he was upset that you blame yourself, Em. It wasn't your fault that any of this happened to him."

Emmett hung his head with a sniffle and tried to hide the fact that Edward's words had brought tears to his eyes. He knew anyway and set down his cup, reaching over to pull the bear of a man into a hug. He hated seeing Emmett cry, just as much as he'd hated seeing the pain and sadness in Jasper's eyes.

"It's okay. Forget what happened, it's over now," he consoled.

"Easy for you to say," Emmett muttered while pulling back to look at him. "What about Jasper? He'll never forget this. Neither his old or new scars will ever let him forget."

Edward sighed and nodded in defeat. "I know, but he has many people who love him to help him through this. We'll all be there for him."

Emmett wiped his eyes with the back of his hand and coughed quietly to clear his throat. Taking a deep breath, he released it slowly and looked down to his resting brother. Jasper looked like an angel cut and torn from falling from grace, but beneath the bandaged wounds, Emmett could see his innocent brother and he hoped everything would be okay now.

Jasper was kept in hospital for a little over a month. He'd been ready to go home to Forks a lot sooner, but the doctors at Seattle General had wanted to keep him in longer. Some of his wounds had become infected and had limited his movements. He'd wanted badly for Carlisle to become his doctor so he could go home to be treated there, but by law, that hadn't been possible for Carlisle to treat his own family, whether Jasper was adopted or blood related.

The day had finally come, though, that Jasper had been waiting anxiously for. He could go home, see everyone again, sleep in his own bed, and be with the people that he knew loved him. On the way out of the hospital, he collected the prescribed antibiotics to help keep away infection from some of his wounds that hadn't fully healed yet.

Jasper inhaled a deep breath of fresh air when he stepped out of the hospital, and then lit a cigarette. He'd gone so long without a smoke and could have easily given the nasty habit up, but he wanted normality to resume now and he released the smoke with a relieved sigh.

Emmett had been leaning against his Jeep nearby, speaking on the phone to someone, but he hung up when he spotted his brother. Pushing off the vehicle, he approached and gave him a careful hug.

"Hey, Jazz," he greeted. "I bet you're glad to be out of there, huh? Come on, it's a long drive home and everyone's waiting to see you."

Jasper nodded and followed Emmett towards the waiting car, but he stopped when his muscular brother began to laugh. Jasper raised an eyebrow in confusion and Emmett smirked.

"Sorry," he apologised with a snort of humour. "I just thought of something. We should call you Silent Bob from now on, because you smoke like a chimney and you rarely speak anymore, just like that Kevin Smith character."

Jasper glared at his brother's joke, but he knew it was true. He did tend to smoke like a chimney, and ever since the kidnapping and abuse, he'd hardly said a word to anyone; except the one time he'd encouraged Edward to keep singing to him.

"Come on, I was just kidding, dude," Emmett offered.

Stepping forward, Jasper threw a playful punch at his brother's arm before snatching the keys from his hand. Emmett was going to protest while Jasper circled the Jeep and climbed in behind the wheel, but he chose to bite his tongue and just go with it. Once the engine roared to life, Jasper rolled down the window to enjoy the fresh air and the rays of sun that screamed freedom to him after so long in the hospital.

The drive to Forks from Seattle took around five hours, not including the stop they made to fill the vehicle with gas. When they finally pulled up at Emmett's house, Jasper's eyes automatically drew towards the end of the driveway to the spot he'd been kidnapped from.

Noticing that, Emmett reached over and removed the keys from the ignition. "Come inside, Jazz."

Nodding, Jasper followed him into the house and froze on the spot at the yell of 'surprise!'. The lounge was filled with family and friends, and behind them hung a homemade banner that greeted him. Esme broke away from the group and walked over to her youngest, smiling as she pulled him into a hug.

"Welcome home, Jasper," she whispered, sounding close to tears.

He hugged her tight and studied the full room and the banner hanging off the wall.

He was home.

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**A/N:** For anyone interested, the song that Edward sang is called 'Fortress of Tears' by my favourite band, HIM. Check it out some time!


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **Hey everyone. So sorry for the long delay, had a busy few weeks, but not going to bore you with it. The other issue was that half way through writing this chapter, the characters decided it would work better with a change of perspective, so the rest will differ from the first parts of the story in how it's told.

Recognisable characters belong to Stephenie Meyer, I'm just borrowing them for our entertainment.

Also, don't own the song featured in this chapter, info at the bottom.

Enjoy!

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**Chapter Nine**

***Emmett's POV***

He's gone! Edward's gone on tour with his band for two months and he didn't even ask me to go with him. Perhaps I should have just demanded I go too, but then it is his tour and I'm his boyfriend, so he should have invited me! God, I hate when he goes away for lengths of time without me. It leaves me feeling so alone, worrying whether he'll end up finding someone else while he's away. I dread the day he'll phone me from another country to tell me he won't be coming back. He denied he ever will, of course, when I brought up the subject some time ago. I hope he was right.

A crash of drums breaks through my self pity, soon followed by a familiar riff from a guitar. Jasper and his buddy's have been spending a lot more time at my house recently, and they're starting to drive me nuts. Even though they're practically under the house in the damp basement, the sounds still echo through the floor and I can't stand even two more seconds of their band practice.

When I storm down the stairs, Jasper looks up from where he's tuning his Fender and smiles, but I'm too pissed off to return it.

"Can't you guys go and play somewhere else?" I snap.

His lips turn down and he gapes at me with a confused expression. "You said we can practice down here any time we need to."

"Yeah, well, I changed my mind," I insist. "So fuck off all of you."

I turn and walk back upstairs, glad for the silence now that they've ceased playing. After grabbing a soda from the fridge, I stretch out on the couch, lifting my gaze instantly towards the framed poster above the fireplace. Edward's staring back at me with his mocking green eyes, causing my heart to thump harder in my chest. I miss him, and he's only been gone for three days. I'm so caught up staring at my beloved, I don't realise that Jasper's joined me on the couch until he speaks.

"Em, he's only going to be gone for two months. It's not like he's never going to come back," he offers.

Inadvertently uttering the words that have been circling through my mind, I glare at him. "I told you to fuck off."

The hurt is instantly visible in his light brown eyes, and yet I don't seem to care. Jasper has been through hell over the past three years, only started talking again less than a year ago, but I just don't care right now. All I can think about is Edward. I want him back, sitting on the couch beside me; not Jazz.

I watch as my adopted sibling lowers his eyes to stare at the floor. Inhaling a small breath, he then stands and returns to the basement to gather his guitar and leave with his friends.

Deep down, I'm proud of my little brother. He's been through hell and back, and has the scars to prove it. Despite that, he's emerged from his emotional and mental withdrawal, and as soon as he'd started speaking again, he set up a tribute to his favourite band, Def Leppard. Jazz is the singer and plays lead guitar. Man, can he rock . . . but right now, I just don't care.

***Esme's POV***

This isn't the first time that Edward's had to go on tour, leaving Emmett behind. Aware of how dependent my middle child becomes when he only has his absent partner on his mind, I've coaxed Carlisle into the car to deliver a home made casserole to our boys.

When we open the door to go inside, Jasper's walking towards us, followed by his band mates. He appears to be really unhappy about something, and I hold him back by the wrist while his friends walk out ahead of him.

"Jasper, sweetie, what's wrong?" I ask him the moment that the door closes.

He sighs and lowers his head to stare at his feet, which I know to be a bad sign. Squeezing his wrist, I gently lead him into the kitchen, sitting him down at the table. When I turn to make a fresh pot of coffee, I notice Emmett lying on the couch, but when I call through to ask him if he wants a drink, I'm ignored.

Once the coffees are made, I return to the table and sit opposite my husband and youngest son. Carlisle's been trying to encourage Jasper to talk, but so far he's had no luck. After placing a drink in front of him, I watch as Jasper wraps his hands around the mug, raising it to his lips to sip from it. He rests the beverage back on the table and stares at the brown liquid, no doubt trying to avoid the questions that he knows is coming.

"Jazz," I begin with a soft tone. "You know you can always talk to us if something is troubling you. What's wrong, sweetie?" When all I receive is silence, I try again. "If it's something to do with . . . you know . . . then you can speak to us. Talking about your past might help you to overcome it."

"It's not that."

Three words, but at least he spoke.

"Then what's bothering you," I ask, hoping he might finally tell me.

He raises his head and meets my eyes. The hurt and pain is visible in his and I begin to worry about what he might say.

"I'm not the son you need to worry about right now, Mom."

He turns his gaze towards the couch, and I understand that it's not my youngest boy who needs help, but my middle child who's missing his lover. A shadow has cast over the house with Edward's leaving and only one thing will lift it again, but he's many miles away in Europe.

***Edward's POV***

That was a pretty tough crowd to crack. Even though there'd been many of our fans and followers out there tonight, there'd also been people who are new to our music and it had taken time to get them into the mood. The gig is over now though, and I'm finally relaxing backstage with a beer in my hand and a cigarette clamped between my lips. My ears are still ringing from the din of the speakers, but after a moment I realise it's actually my cell phone. Resting the bottle between my knees, I take the device from my pocket. The number on the screen isn't one that I recognise, but I answer it anyway.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Edward, it's Jazz."

"Jazz, hey!" It's good to hear a familiar voice, but also a little worrying considering his tone. He sounds about ready to jump off a bridge, so I attempt to lighten the mood. "If you're out of smokes again then I can't help you, handsome. I'm not in the country to be able to sub you some."

"You think I don't know that?" he snaps. "That's all we've heard since you left. You should have taken Emmett with you. It's been nothing but hell here."

"Woah, slow down. Is Emmett okay?" I ask, concerned in case he's done something foolish out of sorrow of me not being with him.

"He's been an asshole ever since you left and that's dragged everyone else down with him. Even Mom and Dad are at each other's throats and now threatening to divorce. Everything's fucked up, Edward. You need to come back and fix this, you're the only one who can."

"Jasper, I can't come back," I try to explain. "We've only just begun the tour. I'm on stage again tomorrow night. I'm sorry."

The next words I hear are ones I never thought would come from the youngest Cullen. He's always been the quiet, shy type, but that's changed in just three days.

"Sorry? Sorry doesn't fucking cut it, Edward! My parents are on the verge of a divorce, my brother is on the verge of suicide, and all you can say is 'sorry'? Well, I guess you're not the fucking saint that everyone thinks you are!"

He slams down the phone. I stare at mine for several seconds before returning it to my pocket and drowning my sorrows in the bottle of beer and a fresh cigarette.

***Jasper's POV***

Maybe I shouldn't have said those things, it just isn't like me at all. That's not who I am, but all is said and done now, and I feel even worse than before. Mom and Dad have been arguing, Emmett's been snapping at everyone, and I'm stuck in the middle with no way of calming anyone down. I'm Jasper Cullen. No - I'm Jasper Whitlock, adopted by the Cullens, but that doesn't make me one of them. I'm nothing like them and . . . no - stop it! Everyone is against each other, I can't allow myself to turn against me. Edward won't help, which leaves me as the only person left to be able to do anything about this. My first plan is to get through the night without any of my family killing each other.

By the next evening, everything is being put into motion. I've managed to encourage one of Emmett's friends to allow me and my tribute band to perform in his bar tonight. It seems that word has gotten around and the room is already rather full. This is perfect, because we need all the cover of bodies that we can get.

My older brother Jake arrives first with Esme, entering the building through the main doors. Not long after, Paul brings Carlisle through the alley entrance to stand at the rear of the crowd, so neither of my parents know the other is there. Even though I hadn't expected it, I spot Emmett near the bar. Seems he's trying to cheer himself up by watching me play.

I start the gig with a few familiar songs: Let's get rocked, Animal, Mistress Magic, and Rocket. Right on cue, Jake and Paul force my parents onto the stage at the same time. Mom almost screams when she sees Dad there, having been told earlier that he had to work tonight. Carlisle just tries to avoid looking at her. I hate seeing them like this. While my brother and friend keep a close eye on my parents, I step closer to the microphone.

"Okay, so here's the deal. A lot of shit has been happening at home over the past few days and I'm sure as hell sick of it. Emmett's being an asshole, my parents are mad at each other for no real reason and they're about to rip each other's throats out. Well, before they do that I just have one last request while we're still a family." Raising my eyes, I peer through the spotlights towards Emmett, but not just him. Directly behind is a familiar set of green eyes, and my brother hasn't even noticed the company he has. A smile comes to my lips and I turn away to hide it, facing my parents instead. "I just want to play one last song, and I want you two to dance one last time. What you do after that is your choice."

Mom and Dad look towards each other, and something silent appears to pass between them. Stepping forwards, Carlisle takes Esme in his arms while we start to play the one song I've reserved for them. Sure, I didn't write it myself, it's a classic Def Leppard song, but this is the one that has all the right words to say what I'm trying to get across to them. I sing it the best I ever have.

"_If you could have a change of heart, if you would only change your mind__  
__instead of slamming down the phone girl, for the hundredth time__  
__I got your number on my wall, but I ain't gonna make that call__  
__When divided we stand baby, united we fall._

_Got the time, got a chance, gonna make it__  
__Got my hands on your heart, gonna take it__  
__All I know, I can't fight this flame__  
__You could have a change of heart, if you would only change your mind__  
__Cause I'm crazy about you baby, time after time_

_Without you, one night alone__  
__Is like a year without you baby, do you have a heart of stone?__  
__Without you, can't stop the hurt inside__  
__When love and hate collide._

_I don't wanna fight no more, I don't know what we're fighting for__  
__When we treat each other baby, like an act of war__  
__I could tell a million lies, and it would come as no surprise__  
__When the truth is like a stranger, hits you right between the eyes_

_There's a time and a place and a reason__  
__And I know I got a love to believe in__  
__All I know, I gotta win this time_

_One night alone__  
__Is like a year without you baby, do you have a heart at all?__  
__Without you, I can't stop the hurt inside__  
__When love and hate collide."_

When we stop playing, I glance to my parents to find them not only still dancing, but they're locked in a tightly sealed kiss. Tears are glistening on Esme's cheeks, but she's smiling and I know that everything will be okay now. Well, not everything. My parents might be practically back to normal, but there's still Emmett to worry about.

I quickly scan the crowd for my sibling, but he's not where he'd been standing for the entire gig. Eric, the bass player in my tribute band, nudges my arm and gestures towards the fire exit leading to the alley behind the bar. Emmett is pushed up against the wall by Edward and I smile to myself, seeing my brother struggling to find the handle so he and his lover can escape into the night.

Seems things went more than according to plan.

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**A/N: **For those who don't know it, YouTube Def Leppard 'when love and hate collide'. Great song!


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